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Thursday, April 7, 2016

Outdoor Living & Dining Room

A couple months ago, my sister in law in Atlanta contacted me about helping her design their new porch. The back deck was initially an uncovered area. Well, it gets HOT in Atlanta, and the house gets a ton of sunlight, so naturally the deck was way too hot and sunny most of the time for their family to fully enjoy the space. They decided to enhance its functionality by having the entire deck covered. I don't think they have regretted a minute of that decision!

When she asked me to help her out, she was already pretty sure of what style she liked, and also how much money they had designated for the project. It is always nice to work with a client who has a clear, and most importantly realistic, budget in mind, and a client that has good taste already! After a few conversations back and forth, I put together a few ideas for her. She and my brother like neutrals, soft, airy, comfortable. Oh, and not to mention, must be kid friendly for my little nieces (and my brother... ha).

The look we ended up going with was sort of a combination of all of the above. The space is long and narrow. A tip for anyone working with a similar room is this- divide the room and create separate purposes for each spot. For example, for this space we have a dedicated dining room area and a designated living room area. This helps maintain a comfortable and intimate setting, but it also helps you "fill up" the space. By focusing on how you will use certain spaces, you can create a much more custom design for your own family. Think about how you want to use the room, and divide and conquer.

My sister in law sent these pictures to me and I'm amazed at the transformation! I can't believe it's the same deck. The builder did such a great job. I love how the lighting makes it truly feel like another room of the house.

The drapes and all upholstery are done in Sunbrella fabric. I cannot stress how wonderful the stuff is! It comes in every color and pattern under the sun, and is PERFECT for families. We use so much of it for clients in Savannah, both indoors and outdoors.

And a few daylight pictures. As you can see, here's the "dining room" side.

And the "living room" side. The fire pit coffee table was an item my sister in law found herself. Versatile furniture like this is a great way to transition a space from day to night. This piece can be used as a coffee table for the kiddos to color, eat, do puzzles, read books, etc. by day, and it transforms into a cozy fire for the adults by night.